Title: Fools

Fools
by Eleanor K

Anotsu stands as Magatsu has placed him, facing the wall, hands clasped behind his back. His kimono lies in a crumpled circle at his feet. Magatsu runs the binding of it between his hands. Not silk, though Anotsu could certainly afford it. Plain cotton, as plain as Magatsu's own.

He starts at the elbows, winding the strip of cloth first in between and then around. Lacing it down Anotsu's arms in loops and criss-crosses, leaving not an inch of skin bare. Down and down, past the wrists, interlaced between the fingers. At last, he leaves the ends hanging loose, but the sheer volume of the cloth is enough to prevent escape or unraveling.

"I can't believe you're letting me do this."

Anotsu isn't quite laughing as he replies, but from the warmth of his voice, it's a close thing.

"I can't believe you're being so creative."

"Hey. Watch it with the back talk. I could gag you, you know."

"I quail at the thought."

"You're enjoying this way too much."

"I can't think what would make you say such a thing."

Magatsu stands back and looks at his work without answering. The line of Anotsu's back and shoulders betrays no hint of uneasiness--at his position or anything else. Of course, Magatsu thinks. Of course.

And there is the temptation--to pull Anotsu down. To bring him, somehow, within reach.

Magatsu stays silent and touches Anotsu's side. The skin is warmer than he expected, almost fevered. He turns Anotsu toward him and sees the light flush on his cheeks, the heat in his eyes.

Not so completely unaffected, after all.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Anotsu stares a moment, then blinks and looks away. "What do you think?"

There's something so easy in reaching out to direct Anotsu's face towards him again. He wouldn't have thought this would be so easy.

"I think I'd like a straight answer from you."

A moment of tension, the hint of a smile. The closest Anotsu has come tonight to refusing him anything. Then it's gone, so quickly, so thoroughly that he could almost believe he was imagining it.

Anotsu meets his eyes with all his accustomed steadiness.

"No. I don't want you to stop."

"Good." He looks Anotsu up and down, as slowly as he's always wanted to. "You're quite a sight, you know that? You look good like this."

Anotsu rolls his eyes.

"Oh, that's polite. I give you a compliment, and what do I get? Silent sarcasm."

That challenging smile is hovering at the edges of Anotsu's mouth again.

He cups Anotsu's face with one hand, makes his voice hard. "You can do better than that."

He waits. Says nothing, does nothing, and Anotsu is, for the moment, his mirror. Silent and unmoving, silent and unmoved.

Then, with suddenly downcast eyes and a softening throughout his body, Anotsu turns his head to kiss Magatsu's palm. "Thank you," he murmurs.

Oh. Yes.

He frames Anotsu's face with both hands now, bringing their lips together hard. It is a taking sort of kiss, and it releases something for both of them.

Anotsu presses against him, leans so far forward that without support he would surely fall. Magatsu holds him tight, hands now at his hips, now wrapped fully around him, crushing their bodies together. Knowing he will never get close enough. Wanting to be inside his skin, cut him
open and crawl inside and--

"Fuck." He breathes the word across Anotsu's mouth. "I don't-- I don't know what I'm doing. I'm going to hurt you."

When he opens his eyes, he sees Anotsu looking at him. No concern in his face, but not that cool ease either.

"You won't hurt me," Anotsu tells him.

Trust. Faith. And he comes back to his chosen self-description now, for it is stupidity, surely, to think he sees these things in Anotsu.

He'd like to believe it. He'd like to be worthy of it.

Since he can't, he presses Anotsu gently against the wall and slides down his body. He leaves a wet trail of open-mouthed kisses over flat stomach and bony hip. Takes Anotsu's cock in his mouth like he's done it a hundred times, which he hasn't. Ever. And how remiss he's been.

The noises Anotsu makes, so clearly can't hold back from making, are going to drive him insane. Inarticulate, sub-vocal, descending into whimpers as Anotsu's head hits the wall with a sharp crack.

He pulls back and looks up. Anotsu meets his gaze with wide eyes. Mouth hanging open and wavering between panting and the formation of words. The need for oxygen wins out for now, and Anotsu only stares at him.

There is only acceptance in his eyes. Of whatever fate Magatsu chooses for him.

Too much. Perhaps it's only that he's seeing more than is really there, but--

He pulls the binding quickly from Anotsu's arms and takes his hands. Cold.

"Was it too tight? You should have said something..."

Anotsu only shakes his head.

The rain outside, the wavering candlelight within, the illicit dance of shadows across naked skin. This perpetual silence between them.

There is a point past which he just can't bear it, and, still on his knees, he pulls Anotsu down to him. Arm around Anotsu's waist, knees knocking together, hand on Anotsu's cock jerking him off harshly as he whispers words that Anotsu most likely will not hear. Words he barely hears himself.

Need and worship and desire and futility and regret.

Still hard himself when he moves away, leaving Anotsu spent and panting.

So unprepared for the hand on his arm. Somewhere in the course of this night he's forgotten Anotsu's tempered-steel strength.

He is yanked back, sprawled haphazard across the floor, pinned there by two hands on his shoulders as Anotsu meets his eyes.

Both gaze and hold soften.

"We are both of us fools, are we not, my kengo?"

"One of us is, anyway."

Anotsu smiles very slightly and traces the line of Magatsu's jaw with one light finger.

"Both. Most assuredly both."


..end..